Agenda item - Multiple Births - Notice of Motion

Joint report of the Chief Operating Officer of the Clinical Commissioning Group and the Director of Public Health (copy attached).

54.1    The Board considered the report of the Chief Operating Officer of the Clinical Commissioning Group and the Director of Public Health. The report was introduced by the Ms K Felton Commissioning Manager – Maternity, Acute and Community Paediatrics, NHS Brighton and Hove Clinical Commissioning Group and Mr A Hill, Public Health Consultant, Brighton & Hove City Council. The report provided a response to the Notice of Motion referred from the Full Council meeting held on 17 December 2015 regarding multiple births.

54.2    The Chair thanked them for the comprehensive report and said that it addressed many of the issues which had been raised. He said that one of the issues was the variation across the country in the way that the NICE guidance was being implemented and asked if it was felt that locally all was being done that could be. Commissioning Manager – Maternity, Acute and Community Paediatrics, NHS Brighton and Hove Clinical Commissioning Group said that there were a range of national and regional initiatives which were underway. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists had come up with a number of clinical initiatives and nationally, and locally they had collaborated to produce a Care Bundle which highlighted four areas which together would have an incredible impact on those babies and their mothers. Those areas covered such things as smoking cessation, foetal growth and the additional support those with multiple births received. Those were areas which would be worked on locally and would be monitored carefully. The Hospital trust had shared their protocol best practice with us. There was also an active Maternity Liaison Committee which was led by parents, and who met every few months with the maternity services.   

54.3    Councillor Norman thanked the officers for the report and the information provided. He supported the initiatives and that there would be a review of the latest data relating to multiple births and still births/neonatal deaths as part of the JSNA programme.

54.4    Councillor Theobald referred to paragraph 5.2.1 which said that every year in the UK over 6,500 babies died just before, during or just after birth and asked what percentage that was. The Director of Public Health said it was around 4% of all births.

54.5    RESOLVED – That the Board noted the initiatives and work being undertaken and that the local JSNA would be reviewed in 2016.